Any way you cut it, 2018 was a phenomenal year for me personally and on a professional level as well. Here are a few milestones reached and some numbers that reflect how I spent my time this past year:

20 Years of marriage

19 years in education

35 papers written for administrative credential program

300 hours logged for administrative credential program (Sept-Dec)

~40 youth basketball practices/games coached

~40 youth soccer practices/games coached

~60 youth baseball practices/games coached

Zero 18 hole rounds of golf

8 European countries traveled to/through

12,831.7 miles traveled by plane, train, bike, water taxi, for said European vacation

So...I haven't made a post on this blog in two years. Hard to believe it's been that long. Would you like to know what I've been up to? If I get at least one person to make a comment to this post, then I will write a longer one with more details! Otherwise, it's probably not worth my time :) Cheers all!

Microsoft has released a new conversation component to its Translator app for Windows, iOS, Android and Kindle. One person starts the conversation on their device which creates a private room complete with its very own URL and a QR code. Others can then join the room to be part of the conversation. The really amazing part is that each person who joins selects their native language and as they speak Translator converts the spoken word into text on each person's device--in the language they chose upon entering the room!

I can envision this being used in the classroom for ELL students or refugees who may be arriving from war torn parts of the world (think Syria). One way this could be done is through Presentation Mode which mutes all participants microphones except for the room owners. Just imagine a classroom with students who speak Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian all have the teacher's English language translated to their native tongue!

Here's a video I made that shows Translator converting my English spoken into a Windows 10 laptop converted to Arabic on a student's iPad.